Gift from an Iron heart
by chloemcg
Summary: One-shot. During a cold winter day, Gajeel Redfox returns to the Fairy tail guild after a solo mission but he sees that the guild bookworm and his favourite girl, Levy, is downcast. Can Gajeel help lift her spirits?


**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of Fairy tail, the rights to the characters belongs to Hiro Mashima AND NOT ME!**

 **Gift from an Iron heart**

* * *

Gajeel Redfox had never really been one to associate much with the festive season.

The Iron dragon slayer strolled along the streets of Magnolia, weaving neatly through the bustling crowds that filled the town each and every single day.

It was chilly and cold and the air was somewhat moist.

The way how everyone was so jolly annoyed him to no end; how could everyone be so happy when it was so cold and numbingly cold, how could people like the way the ground was coated in ice where they would slip? How could they be so jolly with getting cold and trudging through unnaturally freezing snow? He had decided long ago to approach the whole thing with an air of nonchalance so not to offend anyone. It wasn't that he _totally_ disliked it or anything, he just didn't see much of a purpose behind it and it was because of that he spent a huge majority of Christmas Day fulfilling requests for his guild —the Fairy tail guild.

Little was he to learn, however, was that this Christmas was going to be like no other he had experienced thus far...

The Iron dragon slayer strolled along the streets of Magnolia, weaving neatly through the bustling crowds that filled the town each and every single day.

His long and spiky black hair bristled a bit in the frigid wintry winds and he couldn't help but cringe the tiniest bit when a particularly freezing cold breeze brushed against his shoulder, filling his heightened sense of hearing with the cold high pitched whistling wind. The dark gray clouds started to darken as to single an upcoming storm whilst the winds blew in small slivers of chilliness that created that irritable cacophony of irritatingly high-pitched whistling as tiny white specks of snow danced around in the air.

He could have sworn that the tips of his ears had become numb from the freezing sub zero temperatures.

Here he was, once the infamous wizard known as "Black steel" looking for a book to give to a little blue-haired shrimp.

He couldn't help but wonder what had happened to his life...?

Gajeel just continued walking with an expression of purely bored nonchalance, trying to ignore the numbness in his ears. He made his way towards the Fairy tail guild with a very slight spring in his step and his strong hands shoved into his pockets...his crimson/scarlet eyes had never stopped looking forwards so he could avoid distraction from his goal that was the guild's request board; he wanted to get something done.

But then he stopped in place abruptly.

What compelled him to do so he had no clue, yet something inside his chest stirred and he couldn't help but pause abruptly as he stood in the middle of the street. Maybe he was just following gut instincts or something? Anyway, his sense of smell started picking up a single misunderstood yet specific and calming scent that stood out (to him) among several other scents that either remained individual or combined together to make such an ordinary smell.

It smelled like paper, cardboard, artistic materials...books?

The Iron dragon slayer turned his head towards the right and he saw that he had stopped just outside the local book shop in Magnolia, and seeing the old and worn-down building had awoken a memory that he couldn't help but look back on.

* * *

 _Gajeel wandered idly throughout the hall of the Fairy tail guild, a big sack full of reward money hung over his shoulder as his gaze wandered searchingly throughout the several familiar faces of those going about their daily lives in Fairy tail._

 _It didn't take him long until his attention focused upon a familiar, blue-haired woman,_

 _Levy moaned dejectedly, her head was almost as low as the floorboards below her and her beautiful sapphire blue hair drooped over her eyes limply. The solid script magic mage glumly rested her chin on the surface of the bench she sat on and she was looking so depressingly downcast that her whole aura was leaking depression all throughout the guildhall._

 _She looked so downcast and depressed that she looked almost as though she was about to cry and Gajeel felt his heart sink into his stomach when he saw the short blue-haired beauty this way. He couldn't stand to see the blue-haired mage look so down and it made his heart ache, not that he'd ever tell this to anybody..._

 _So, putting on the most nonchalant expression he could in order to mask his concern, Gajeel walked over towards the bench where Levy was seated at._

 _"What's up with you, little shrimp?" He asked, non-too-caringly as he dropped his sack of jewels to the floor._

 _Levy sighed heavily as she rested her cheeks on two rolled up fists, glancing sadly down at the wooden surface of the bench table she sat at. Her eyes scanned the wooden patterns carefully as to entertain herself in spite of her melancholy state; her brown eyes were as dull as bricks and her wavy cobalt blue hair fell limply and hung like dry strings of seaweed from her scalp._

 _She was the epitome of someone who was totally downcast._

 _Panther Lily was stood by her side with a comforting paw resting atop the mage's shoulder. The panther-like exceed wore a look of sympathy as he tried his best to comfort the depressed young woman yet he looked as though he was completely lost and didn't know what to do in this situation, his little circular ears were down and his tail hung limply like Levy's hair. It didn't take long until the small, bipedal talking feline finally took notice of the Iron Dragon slayer's presence._

 _"Hello, Gajeel. How was your mission?" He asked._

 _Gajeel shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly whilst trying not to notice the depressed Solid script wizard._

 _It was very hard not to notice, though._

 _Lily seemed to read the atmosphere and he stared blankly at his partner with his paw still laying upon Levy's sunken shoulder. She hardly even lifted her head or even flinched when Gajeel's shadow loomed over her as she just looked glumly down at the table in front of her, she was just leaking this depressing air and it was so infectious that Gajeel was pretty certain that everyone had moved away to not catch her horrendous case of the blues._

 _But, as Gajeel got a closer look at her, he started to notice that she actually had a leaflet beneath her. It was the leaflet of a book that looked pretty brand new or something...he had a feeling that this was related to her bad mood._

 _Gajeel growled softly._

 _He just couldn't take this anymore._

 _He cleared his throat which succeeded in grabbing Levy's attention._

 _The blue-haired book worm jolted up as though sucked out of her gloomy train of thought, disgruntled, and finally looked at Gajeel. She instantly put on a huge smile that was an obvious fake as she tried to hide her obvious dismay._

 _"O-Oh, Gajeel...I didn't see you there...!"_

 _Gajeel quirked a bolted non-brow at her. Seriously? He'd been standing there for, like, what? Five or ten minutes and she just now noticed him standing right above her? He clicked his tongue and scoffed inwardly —Yeah, no, he would believe that the day when Gray kept his shirt on for an entire day...which would most likely never happen in a billion years. It was as plain as the eye could see that Levy was telling a big, whopping fib and he wasn't going to be tolerate being lied to by Levy because (even though he would rather die then admit it) he really cared about her._

 _He gave her a look that could peel paint off of a wall; he glared sternly and silently at her as he folded his arms across his muscular chest and he started to repeated the same question from before rather gruffly as he tried his best to disguise the concern behind his words._

 _"What's with the miserable look on your face, Lev?"_

 _Levy hung her head and sighed when she seemed to realise that she was terrible at hiding things and just decided to be honest._

 _"Okay, fine..." She admitted, "...there was this book I wanted for awhile but I couldn't find it, either that or it's too expensive..."_

 _He frowned even harder._

 _That was it? That was why she was so down in the dumps? Levy never fretted over something like this before, it must have been important. He couldn't help but feel this odd stirring sensation deep down in his gut and he felt it swirl around and around like in a spiral motion —he always felt like that whenever he'd see even the slightest frown on her face._

 _Why did he feel this way? It was quite a nuisance, to be honest._

 _The Dragon slayer glanced down at the poster of the book Levy wanted and he frowned even harder. This book she wanted seemed quite odd...it struck him with a strange feeling, a familiar feeling. He had no idea what to do now, what should he do? Should he comfort her? He had no idea how to do that, nor did he bother to convince anyone he cared._

 _His eyes closed and he found himself at a loss._

 _He had to do something but what...?_

* * *

Gajeel kept right on walking as he bore through the cold with relative ease.

For some reason he hadn't been able to get that memory out of his mind, it was just as bothersome as the fact that he would constantly find himself getting the brunt of the cold weather whenever he'd feel a chilly sliver of wind slide by him, a feeling of deep yet numbing coldness making a valiant attempt to get to him.

Why was his attention drawn to this bookshop? Why could he only think about that memory from earlier that same morning? Why was everything in his body making an attempt to force him to go straight into the shop?

He knew none of the answers to those questions.

However he eventually decided to just let his curiosity take control and he proceeded to turn and stroll casually inside the building, pushing the door open with his side and causing a small bell above him to ring —it was probably one of those bells that alerted sales clerks to customers or something. After letting the door swing open and barging through it, the iron dragon slayer meandered to the receptionists counter and was instantly met by a shop clerk wearing a big and friendly smile.

"How can I help you, sir?" The shop receptionist inquired.

Gajeel replied, his voice gruff and non-caring.

"I am after a certain book titled "The metal-hearted King" or somethin'..."

The man behind the service counter seemed confused for a few moments. He wore a very thoughtful expression whilst he lazily scratched at his chin; his face screwed up and he hummed as though trying to think.

It took a mere five seconds before the man's eyes lit up with recognition.

"O-Oh! You must mean "The iron-hearted Prince"! It's a gem of a novel that tells the fable of a strong young maiden who falls in love with a cruel monster of a prince whose heart is as cold as the iron that became his castle-" The man's eyes sparkled like diamonds as he gushed over the book, "-it's a classic book and nowadays it's rare to find in shops!"

Gajeel rolled his eyes at the man's squeeing over the book. He folded his arms firmly across his chest and cleared his throat abruptly so the man's attention was removed from the book. His eyes were as sharp as steel and he glared, yet he couldn't help but raise a brow when that last sentence soaked in.

"Why is it so hard to find anyways?"

The man crossed his arms over his chest and nodded to himself smugly.

"Because it's such a big hit and it's like a magnet for book-worms."

Gajeel smiled internally.

That sounded an awful lot like something the blue shrimp would be interested in but he couldn't deny that for some reason, the plot of the novel sounded a tad familiar to him yet it bothered him greatly when he could not place his finger on it...

The man looked at Gajeel. "Why're you so interested in buying it anyway? You don't look like the type of guy who reads so much."

The iron dragon slayer just looked away to avoid the man's eyes, a gentle shade of red decorating his cheeks. He sort of found this to have been a tad embarrassing to talk about, especially since he wasn't somebody who was usually bothered to get presents for other people. He cleared his throat and tried to force his voice to work and try and answer the man's question but his embarrassment got the better of him and he just couldn't get control of it so he just uttered a string of some strange mutters.

"Mmmghhghrrrrrr..." He ended up grumbling through gnashes fangs.

The man smirked at him slyly as he seemed suspicious of the true reason for this strong, burly guy's visit to a book shop. He seemed to know of the reason straight off the bat and within five seconds of humming to himself knowingly, he asked with a wink of the eye.

"A special gift for your girlfriend...?"

Gajeel's face flushed the same shade as Erza's Scarlet red hair when that leering question was asked. He didn't know why he was feeling so hot in the face and it annoyed him greatly, and he found it especially irksome when he felt a pang hit him in the heart at that comment. Quite frankly he wanted to strangle the man, especially with that smug look on his ageing face.

That seemed to be all the answer the old man needed as he turned around and proceeded to walk towards the back of the shop.

It felt like an eternity before he came back with even more of an intolerable smirk on his face.

"Sorry, sir, we're completely sold out."

Gajeel's face reddened even further. He was not going to surrender on his mission, he was going to get that book or die trying! He growled angrily and he was quick to grab a fistful of the man's shirt and he hoisted him high into the air so his feet were barely touching the ground behind the counter.

"Listen here! Am I gonna get that book or will I have to pry it from your cold, dead hands?" He asked lowly and intimidatingly. One of his arms transformed into a steel claw and he held it threateningly up towards him, and it was the same arm that bore his Fairy tail emblem so the man could see his occupation more clearly.

The man gulped nervously when he saw the ebony black symbol.

"O-Oh! You're part of the Fairy tail guild!?"

"Yeah? What about it?!" Gajeel demanded in pure anger.

The book shop receptionist swallowed hard and forced on the biggest smile he possibly could, even though it was as clear as day that he was really nervous. He struggled as his feet dangled a few inches off of the wooden ground of the shop and he was quite literally quivering in his shoes as his pulse raced.

The Dragon slayer's crimson eyes burned holes through his very soul.

"E-Err, um, uh, anyone in a guild gets a discount so I think I could give it to you half price."

Gajeel scowled even harder, shaking the man in his grip as he grit his fangs so tightly that sparks started to erupt from the pure friction. His face was twisted from pure rage as he held the man high by the collar and caused him to hang in midair, he was quaking violently as all of the colour drenched from his face as his pulse slid up and down erratically.

Gajeel growled lowly.

"Why didn't you tell me that before!?"

"B-Because I had no idea that you were a member of Fairy tail!"

The iron dragon slayer's grip tightened and his long black hair bristled with just as much rage. He hoped that this guy knew that he'd hurt the feelings of his friend and teammate when she probably tried to purchase that book when she probably wandered in to get it previously. He e had better things to do with his time and didn't wish to stand there arguing over a dumb book.

The man squeaked in fear.

"...I'm b-begging you, just let me go!"

Gajeel just hung his head and grumbled. He exhaled through his nostrils to try and calm his bubbling temper. He knew that he couldn't really take his anger out on some old man —he knew it wouldn't be proper and he had a feeling that Levy would rip off his head if he dared to bring harm on this elderly person.

He begrudgingly lowered the shop receptionist back down so he could get to his own two feet

and watched as the man scrambled over to the back of the counter, quivering and shaking like a maraca as he observed the iron Dragon slayer wizard's every single move with careful and cautious eyes. Gajeel hadn't meant to scare the man that badly but he hoped that would get him to treat him with much more respect then he had this time around; he felt his heart stir.

He stuffed a hand into his pocket, grabbed a handful of the jewels he'd collected from the reward of his previous job and proceeded to forcefully hand it over as he finally took the rare book into his possession. It was a pretty big book and, considering the binding and weight of it, it must have been a special piece of literature indeed. It was so big that the Iron dragon slayer had to sandwich it between his waist and his underarm so he could carry it properly.

Thankfully it didn't make him topple over, though.

It didn't take long until he stormed out with steam of fury blowing from his ears. He hoped to the iron dragon Metalicana that this trip would be worth it as he heatedly yelled on his way out.

"Keep the change!"

It took a while until Gajeel had finally made it back to Fairy tail.

The Dragon slayer sauntered through the front doors with a rather miffed expression on his face.

He just felt really annoyed that he had to go into a book shop like that, how could he just go in there and why didn't he just leave the matter alone? He kept on doubting himself over and over again but (then again) he supposed that if it picked Levy's mood up then it didn't really matter much.

It didn't take long until he set his eyes upon the blue-haired bookworm.

Gajeel felt that same sensation he had felt earlier, that very same sinking pain forming a _huge_ knot in his gut. Once again seeing Levy look so down made his heart twist and he could say for definite that he strongly disliked seeing such a saddened expression on her face —her deep brown eyes were still dull and she still had Lily trying to comfort her.

The iron dragon slayer approached the bench where the Solid script Fairy tail wizard and soon stood right beside her.

Levy seemed to sense his presence fairly quickly when she felt his shadow loom overhead, she clearly somehow managed to pull herself together a bit since he'd left her side a couple of minutes ago. There was still that downcast aura about her, though, as she turned to glance up at the iron-hearted wizard stood next to her.

She froze when she finally looked up at him and her heart skipped a beat when she saw the object he holding out to her.

"Well that was quick, Gajeel, where did you go off t-?"

"Merry Christmas or whatever..."

He held the book in one hand and held it out for the wizard to take.

Levy was stunned beyond belief as her clever mind let all of the pieces click together like a puzzle piece, she blinked a few times to refresh her vision because she was in too much shock. This could not be what she thought it was.

Her eyes watered and a massive grin spread across her face.

The dragon slayer had done all of this for her sake.

The young woman hardly hesitated when she stood up and leapt high into the air and tossed her arms around Gajeel, startling him so he almost toppled over from sheer surprise and from the sudden added weight but he managed to pull himself back and into a more straightened posture; he instinctively wrapped one arm beneath Levy to keep her aloft and the other around her back to make sure she wouldn't fall. Gajeel could feel his heartbeat quickening when he felt the small woman's wet face soak into his neck.

The Solid script wizard murmured as she buried her face into the crook of the strong and muscular dragon slayer's neck. His eyes had widened with surprise and he could swear that a sudden blazing heat risen in his cheeks.

"Thank you, Gajeel! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

The two glanced up and saw that, hovering above them, was a piece of mistletoe.

Gajeel instinctively furled his strong, muscular arms around Levy to keep her aloft and he couldn't hold back a faint fanged-smirk as his face suddenly felt as warm as a toasty open fire. He couldn't believe that he was like this, in this peculiar situation... _with her_. He felt his heartbeat accelerate as his pulse stirred in response to feeling her embrace —an embrace strong enough to shake mountains.

It was a strength he had always admired, even though she was short.

His scarlet red eyes softened until he closed his eyes and just relished in the moment.

 _"Heh...maybe this Christmas thing ain't gotta be so bad anymore..."_

* * *

 **A/N: Heres a christmas one-shot that involves one of the best couples in all of Anime —Gajeel and Levy!**

 **I had this in the works for awhile but I'm happy with how it turned out and I hope you guys are just as happy with it.**

 **Feel free to review and please fave, I thrive on those!**

 **Merry early Christmas, guys!**

 **-Chloemcg**


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